Why an Asis Rigid Inflatable Boat

Why is a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) most often the vessel of choice for Professional Mariners, Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies, and Maritime Special Operations Forces the world over?

A RHIB has many unique handling and performance characteristics, which make it the craft-of-choice for many varied mission profiles. Compared to a standard, hard- sided boat of the same length and power, a RHIB is generally lighter in weight and has a lower center-of-gravity. The ASIS Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) hulls use a unique, concave chine design; as the ASIS RHIB hull moves thru the water and impacts waves, the concave chines act to direct the water downward thereby creating extra lift and reducing the wetted surface and friction drag of the hull. The lighter weight and unique hull design also make the boat’s handling much more agile and responsive to helm input. RHIBs in general have a better “hole-shot” with less time and speed/power to get the boat up on plane.

The combination of lighter-weight and reduced friction, translates into increased overall top-speed with reduced fuel consumption/ fuel cost and which increases the RHIB’s overall operational range per gallon of fuel carried and consumed.

The inflatable tube-set (also sometimes referred to as a sponson or collar) does many great things; it provides the craft with wonderful lateral stability and abundant reserve buoyancy.

Even when the vessel is deliberately overloaded to one-side with unevenly distributed weight, the air holding tube could then be forced by this weight to touch the water, but its inherent and abundant buoyancy prevents the vessel from tipping further or capsizing.

Also a RHIB generally has a higher load carrying capacity than comparably sized boats of hard-sided design. And the tube-set allows for ancillary seating positions.

To dispel a common misconception about RHIBS; when a properly designed RHIB is at rest or underway in nominal operating conditions, the tube-set or collar does not contact the water except to deflect occasional sea-spray, and it is NOT required for buoyancy to keep the vessel afloat.

In fact all of the ASIS RHIBS undergo rigorous certification testing to insure that they stay afloat and remain operable while carrying full-loads with no tube-set inflation.

Where a RHIB boat’s tube-set really shines is when the vessel encounters significant sea conditions. When the RHIB repeatedly encounters significant wave action, it is then, that the RHIB’s tube-set becomes a dynamic, intrical part of the vessel, greatly aiding its performance characteristics; as the tube-set impacts the wave-action the flexing action of the tube-set absorbs and mitigates the shock of these impacts, it lessens the depth by which the boat submerges during successive waves, and it also serves to lessen the chance of accidentally burying the bow into a rouge or miss-timed wave.

The tube-set also provides the RHIB another hydro-surface to aid stability and agility during high-speed, high-angle turns.

A RHIB, whether using a pneumatic, a foam-filled, or a foam-air hybrid tube-set, enjoys built-in, prominent rendering on all sides (no additional fenders needed). This makes a RHIB the ideal platform for underway boarding operations, crew and equipment transfers and law enforcement stops all with relative ease and without incurring damage to any vessels or adjacent objects. As many mariners involved with any type of water rescue and recovery operations will tell you, a RHIB’s lower freeboard height and soft-sided tube-set makes personnel rescue and recovery easier and safer and is ideally suited for the recovery technique of par buckling.

Why Choose an ASIS RIB for your next mission?

EXCEPTIONAL SPEED

The lightness will ensure that the ASIS RIB will usually outperform any comparably sized and powered.

EASY LAUNCHING AND RECOVERY

The ASIS RIBs lightness gives it an increased agility and responsiveness making your mission easier and faster.

ECONOMIC

The weight savings of an ASIS RIB versus a hard sided alternative will generally contribute to greater fuel.

REMARKABLE STABILITY

The inflatable collars on the ASIS Rigid Inflatable Boat serve as a stabilizing platform whether standing still or traveling at high speed. Particularly at high speed and in adverse conditions this stability becomes.

OUTSTANDING LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY

ASIS RIBs have a greater relative load carrying capacity due to the inflatable collars providing ultimate buoyancy and stability. Thus allowing you to transport considerable loads without affecting the performance.

DRY RIDE

ASIS’s reverse chine design as well as the air collars deflects sea spray for dryer ride and creates more lift and agile cornering ability for navigation in the most extreme sea conditions.

SHOCK MITIGATION

The air holding collars provide inherent shock mitigation when in a heavy sea. The collars also provide prominent fendering when coming along side for PAX transfer and vessel boarding operations.

VERSATILITY

ASIS’s reverse chine design as well as the air collars deflects sea spray for dryer ride and creates more lift and agile cornering ability for navigation in the most extreme sea conditions.

REDUCED OPERATIONAL COST

SAFETY

Compartmentalized air chambers ensure our tube’s reserve buoyancy, shock mitigation and prominent fendering remains effective even in the event of puncture. Air holding tubes are not necessary to maintain the boat afloat but provide for the craft’s ultimate operational safety.

LIGHT WEIGHT

The air tube collar construction results in the ASIS Rigid Inflatable Boat being significantly lighter, with a lower center of gravity and faster than a conventional hard sided boat. This advantage also ensures that it is easier to trailer behind a vehicle or lift on to the deck of a larger vessel.